Fatal Schuylkill County Mine Accident

The Department of Environmental Protection today temporarily suspended the mine officials’ certificates for three miners involved in the Oct. 23 fatal accident at R&D Coal Co.’s Buck Mountain Slope Mine in Tremont Township, Schuylkill County.
 
The action comes as DEP and the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) continue their investigation into an explosion inside the mine that resulted in the death of Dale Reightler, 43, of Donaldson in nearby Frailey Township.
 
The orders suspend the employees’ mine official certifications, meaning they cannot act in this capacity at any Pennsylvania mine. The action is only against the mine officials, not other miners employed at the mine.
 
“The death of Dale Reightler is a tragic event for all involved and highlights the dangers that miners face every day,” said DEP Deputy Secretary for Mineral Resources Management J. Scott Roberts, whose office oversees all mining in Pennsylvania. Read more at state.pa.us